The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-12-31

institution of this neighborhood which has
ever been of any public usefulness what
soever."
The natives of these parts seem to be as
famous for their longevity as the tortoises
which they so closely resemble, and are, in
deed, "ancient Britons in every sense of
the word. Not without reason did asimple
old country gentleman of this district re-
mark innocently when fashionable visitor
was pointed out to him as Baronet of
James is creation, "Bless my soul he
looks wonderfully young to have lived as
long as that !" In the town records of
Dorking find among the entries for 1927:
sThis day, Nov. IA, was buried John Col
zott, aged 108 years. Nor was his case
by any means an exceptional one. have
myself seen among the gravestones of
South HOLLYWOOD, 0ckley, and Newdigate
the record of not few lives that fell but
little short of the century, and at least one
''oldest inhabitant' Of Holmesdale has re-
Gently gone beyond it, viz, Mrs. Blackman,
of Newhaven, who died at Dorking on the
10th February, 1879, in her one hundred
and first year, having been born on the 7th
September, 17TS. This parallels the ex-
plot Of the American lady who fell danger
ously i'll at 81, and, having been "giyen
up" by her doctor, persisted in recovering
despite all that the good physician could do
to prevent it; whereupon he observed to
her, more in sorrow than in anger, "Ah,
madam, l guess you've willfully thrown
away the last chance of dying which Prov
idence will ever vouchsafe to you in this
world r
Local antiquaries inform me that there
are still to be found here and there long
this valley, and among the hills around it,
some remnants Of that ancient Briton stock
which inhabited this region before a Saxon
had set foot in England. For my own part,
the sole token that have yet seen of this
survival of the unfittest is the presence of
a number of huge black hogs, which are
sufficiently like the ancient Britons to be
fully entitled to claim kindred with them,
having retained the cleanliness and the in
tellectual development of their supposed
ancestors as well as their melodious speech.
But whether South Surrey has or has not
the honor of being peopled with distinct
race, it must undoubtedly be allowed the
credit of possessing distinct language.
Few Englishmen, even If born In thee
ty, would be likely to guess what Holmes
dale plowman could mean by saying, "If
'un be shirty and mak's a bottle, Use ban
nick 'un," or to discover without the aid of
an interpreter that this mysterious sentence
means simply, 'If he's sulky and makes
fuss, I'll give him thrashing." Other
hieroglyphics of the local dialect are
"beazed," tired out; "goomiug, stupid;
"buzzly," short and plump; "doddish," in
firm in body or mind, and, more curious
than all, "Petergrievous, fretful.
Till within the memory of living men the
quiet little valleys that nestle behind the
great chalk ridge of Surrey were perfect
museum of antique usages apd medieval
pastimes. But the last half century has
made sad havoc of them even in their last
and surest stronghold, 'Jack-in-the-
Green" whose gambols within leafy
screen of intertwined boughs were once as
recognized feature of May Day as the
sunrise that ushered it in, has cut his last
caper, and danced away into the world of
shadows with all his train of shouting com
rades. The march of events has long since
swept into the limbo of "things that were
the stout, pompous, thick-witted old parish
Constable whom Shakespeare heard wara.
ing his watehpep that aff they met thief,
they might suspect him to be no true man
by virtue of their office" and keep clear of
him less they should be contaminated by
his evil company. Gone, too, are the parish
stocks, in which offenders against public
morality formerly sat imprisoned, with their
legs held fast beneath a heavy wooden
yoke, while sundFy small but fehdish boys
Improved the occasion by deliberately pull.
ing off their shoes and then tickling the
soles of their defenSeless feet, st. ThOmas's
day is no longer marked by disappearance
of bands of smock -frocked country folks,
with pewter dishes or wooden tFeneherS
held out to receive the charity which was
never refused to them when they went
'sGooding" (as it was called) upon that day.
The time -honored English custom of going
in procession on certain morning every
wear to mark out the bounds of the parish
has become obsolete Gas might be expected)
in an age of accurate county maps at 20
cents apiece; and even the loyal clodhop.
pers Of Surrey haze ceased to eomMemoFz
ate by the hanging of ap oak bopgh in the
church tower on the 18th of May, the Joy
full anniversary upon which one Of the
greatest scoundrels that ever lived (whom
| England afterward contriyed to worship for
25 years under the title of "His Most
Gracious Majesty King Charles II" es-
caped the doom that thousands Of better
men had suffered for his sake by taking
refuge in British oak, which would have
done fur better service to ita country had
| ii borne his suspended carcass at the end
of one of Its strongest limbs.
But while thus casting away so many of
its old customs, South Surrey has retained
one antique usage which is fully as curious
and as picturesque as any of those which it
has lost. Any stranger who should happen
to be in the town of Dorking on Sbrove
Tuesday would notice doubtless with no
small inward wonder and perplexity) that
Just about II o'clock in the day, at the
yery time when the business of the place
! might be expected ts he at its briskest,
every storekeeper along both. sides Of the
High-street appeared to be putting up his
shutters and locking his door, till all the
shops In the thorogghare were closed and
barred, Next the foot passengers and carts
would be seen retiring, leaving the once
crowded street completely deserted. The
spectator naturally supposes these strange
proceedings to be the prelude Of fight or
riot of some kind, an idea greatly strength
ened by the sudden appearance of two
bands of sturdy young fellows marching up
from opposite ends of the empty thorough
fare, till they stand facing one another just
at the point where a narrow passage lead
ing from the gate of St. Martins Church
debouches upon the High-street. But all
at once football is seen flying in the air,
while both parties converge into whir-
poel of struggling arms and limbs upon the
spot where it falls. Then it becomes evil